Murphysboro, IL woman pleads guilty to unlawful use of weapon

A Murphysboro, Illinois woman has pleaded guilty to aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.

Sandra Loucks, 50, pleaded guilty on Monday, July 20.

According to Jackson County State's Attorney Michael C. Carr, on Nov. 21, 2014, Illinois Department of Conservation police were conducting field checks during Shotgun Deer Season in Ava, Ill.

At dusk, officers saw an ATV, with two people on it, Sandra and Gary Loucks, leaving a field and approaching them. Carr said Loucks and her husband Gary had harvested a deer and both were wearing blaze orange. They were also carrying three loaded guns.

Officers said Loucks and her husband were able to provide licensed deer tags, but both were unable to provide valid hunting licenses or Firearm Owner Identification cards.

Also at that time, the officers were unaware of Louck's prior felony conviction out of Jackson County.

The couple was allowed to continue on to the hunting lodge to get both of their hunting licenses and FOID cards. However, once at the hunting lodge, officers say Louck left the scene in her vehicle and left her husband at the hunting lodge with the officers.

Louck's husband admitted to the officers that it was Louck who harvested the deer and showed them the gun she used.

Louck's FOID card was revoked at the time of the offense.

Two days later, she was found at her home and arrested for the violation and a warrant out of Williamson County.

On Dec. 8, 2014, the Jackson County State's Attorney's Office charged Louck with aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon. On July 20, 2015, the State Attorney's Office amended the charge to aggravated unlawful use of a weapons without a FOID.

Louck was eligible to receive up to one to three years in the Illinois Department of Corrections or 30 months or probation.

After her guilty plea, Louck was sentenced to 2 years of probation and ordered to pay a $500 fine.

The investigation was conducted by the Illinois Department of Corrections. Assistant State's Attorney Patrick Brewster was responsible for the prosecution of this case.